J.K. Rowling & the Wonderful World of Harry Potter By: Jody Jarrell

Year 1 Year 6 Year 3 Year 2 Year 4 Year 5 J.K. Rowling

History Born: July 31, 1965 in Gloucestershire, England as Joanne Kathleen Rowling Married to Jorge Arantes a Portuguese Journalist on October 16, 1992 & divorced 3 years later. Re-Married Neil Murray on December 26, 2001 He is an anesthesiologist. JK Rowling has 3 children, Jessica 16, David 3, & Mackenzie 1. Currently she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland where she continues to write the final installment of the Harry Potter Series.

More History Began writing when she was 5 years old. Her first story was called “Rabbit” Attended Exeter University At the age of 26, she moved to Portugal to be an English teacher. It was at this time that she began working on a story about a wizard. She moved to Edinburgh, Scotland to be close to her family and raise her daughter. Here she continued to write the 1 st Harry Potter book. She wrote a grant to the Scottish Arts Council to help complete her first book. She sold Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone to Bloomsbury Pub. for about $4,000.

Year 1 After the completion of the first book, JK Rowling had to get a job as a French teacher until Scholastic bought the rights to Harry. The title was changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Scholastic paid $105,000 for the pub. rights. JK quit her teaching job and was able to write full time. She said “This moment is the happiest of my life” Book one in U.S. has sold 6.1 million hardback 10.9 million paperback Total 17 million copies British Book Award –Children’s Book of the Year Smarties Prize

How it all Begins

Year 2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets sold in the U.S. 7.3 Million Hardbacks 7.5 Million Paperbacks Total of 14.7 Million Copies J.K. Rowling’s Books are now published in over 35 different languages

Year 3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – U.S. Sales 7.6 Million Hardbacks 5.2 Million Paperbacks Total 12.8 Million By Summer of 2000, she earned over 400 Million dollars for her first three books After her third success, The New York Times created a best sellers list for children’s books because JK Rowling’s books were dominating the top slots.

Year 4 U.S. Sales for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Hardcover 8.9 Million Paperback 3.4 million Total 12.8 Million Copies This is the house that JK Rowling grew up in. She now owns 3 houses; two in Edinburgh and one in London

Year 5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix U.S. Sales Hardcover 5 million copies in the first 24 hours then averaging at 12.2 million copies Paperback 1.5 Million Total 13.7 million JK Rowling got the idea for the name “Potter” from her friends next door growing up. She loved their last name which was “Potter”

Year 6 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince U.S. Sales Hardback 6.9 million in the first 24 hours with a total of 13.5 million sold. Paperback 2 million Total 15.2 Million Copies Total U.S. Sales Hardcover 55.6 Million Paperback 30.5 Million Total 86.1 Million Copies

Other Facts J.K. Rowling is currently working on the seventh book which is the last in the series. She is currently worth an estimated 1 billion dollars She was on the Forbes List of World’s Richest People She is richer than the Queen of England who had 660 million in Themes throughout the books: Love, Family, Courage, Triumph Good vs. Evil, and Hope. Quote from the Author: “Probably the very best thing my earnings have given me, though, is absence of worry. I have not forgotten what if feels like to worry whether you’ll have enough money to pay the bills. Not to have to think about that anymore is the biggest luxury in the world.

References 06-rowling_x.htm Google Images for the Pictures